MENTAL health services in Halton have been commended in an independent report by the Healthcare Commission.

The 5 Boroughs Partnership NHS Trust - which covers Halton (including Frodsham and Helsby), Knowsley, St Helens, Warrington and Wigan - was inspected between January and July this year, with the experts pleased with what they saw.

Inspectors found Trust staff were enthusiastic and dedicated to providing good quality services in partnership with service users. The report also highlighted areas in which the Trust needed to make improvements to ensure that the quality of these services is maintained in the future, but in many cases simply recommended standards were maintained.